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Just a reminder to everyone that you can nominate songs for SotW - the link for that thread is at the bottom of this post. Thanks to Ben (Tre's Busted Drumkit) for this week's nomination.

This week’s Song of the Week is the eternally popular F.O.D off Green Day’s major label debut, Dookie, released in 1994. The song is the 14th and final track on the album (aside from the hidden All By Myself) and is probably one of the most explosive final tracks on any of Green Day’s albums.

The one thing I love about these lyrics more than anything else is that it shamelessly doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s an unapologetically rage-filled hate-fest; there are no pretty metaphors or poetic devices, it’s simplistic and almost animalistic in its rawness – Billie’s lyrics themselves make note of how he “can’t explain it”. Even the quiet, mellow first half of the song has some pretty harsh words and plenty of pent-up aggression, namely the “let’s nuke the bridge…” chorus. It’s almost like Billie (or whoever the first person is) is trying to write a letter to this person he hates so much; it starts off civil and controlled, until what he’s been “aching now to say” suddenly just bursts out in one big ‘fuck you’. The quiet acoustic guitar intro that tears aggressively into the all-out full-band second half of the song just adds to the feeling of anger and hatred. It’s also that slow build-up of emotions and tension that makes this song so good live, especially when the audience knows what’s coming up, and the whole crowd surges forward at the beginning of the second half.

This is a live performance of F.O.D from the Jaded in Chicago concert in 1994. Billie’s sneer and manic twitching, coupled with the blistering pace of the performance makes this one of my favourite live versions of the song. Also make sure to check out difference between the crowd between the two halves of the song.

Video credit: GreenDayBootlegs2010

Lyrics:

Something's on my mind

It's been for quite some time

This time I'm on to you

So where's the other face?

The face I heard before

Your head trip's boring me

Let's nuke the bridge we torched 2,000 times before

This time we'll blast it all to hell

I've had this burning in my guts now for so long

My belly's aching now to say

Stuck down in a rut of dislogic and smut

A side of you well hid

When it's all said and done

It’s real and it's been fun

But was it all real fun?

Let's nuke the bridge we torched 2,000 times before

This time we'll blast it all to hell

I've felt this burning in my guts now for so long

My belly's aching now to say

…to say...

You're just... a fuck,

I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck.

I'm taking pride

In telling you to fuck off and die.

I've had this burning in my guts now for so long

My belly's aching now to say

I'm taking pleasure in the doubts I've passed to you

So listen up cause you might miss...

You're just... a fuck,

I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck.

I'm taking pride

In telling you to fuck off and die.

Good night…

*********************************************************************************************************

You can nominate songs for discussion as Song of the Week in the SotW Nominations and Archive thread, which contains links to each previous Song of the Week in its first post.

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Does this include All By Myself or just FOD?

Just F.O.D

I was thinking I should do All By Myself next week :lol:

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I remember the first time I listened to F.O.D. I was too concerned about listening to the lyrics in the first half of the song, that when the loud second half came on it caught me totally off guard. :lol:

F.O.D was one of the first Dookie songs I had. I liked the soft acoustic beginning swiftly changing into raging power chords. My favorite part of the song has got to be when Billie Joe sings, "I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck." I know it's simple, but we've all had feelings like these. Hating somone for no reason other than because they "suck".

It would've ben cool if they had decicded to make it into a music vdeo.

Great SOTW choice!

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Good song. I don't listen to it much anymore, but when I listened to it a couple days ago, I still knew most of the lyrics to the song.

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First time I heard this song was sitting on a bus with headphones in. I actually jumped when the loud part kicked in, can still remember it scaring the fuck outta me!

Another joyous memory is my brother arguing with me. We agreed to an acceptable volume level to play music, an argument ensued with him insisting I had raised the volume again. Proving him wrong resulted in the only time he has ever listened to a full Green Day song in my presence.

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F.O.D. is a great song, indeed unapologetic and very straightforward. I like how it builds up to the chorus. First Billie singing softly about wanting to "nuke the bridge" and all that, and then after it goes quiet.. BAM and the "You're just.. a fuck" chorus kicks in. Love it, the music fits perfectly with the lyrics. Nice ending as well, of the song, and Dookie in general. The way Billie sings "good night" is like he ends with some kind of (maniacal) laughter, like "ahaha yeah F.O.D!" :lol: Great to sing along as well, I'd love to hear it live just so I could experience how it is to sing the lyrics together with the rest of the crowd, while the band is also saying "Fuck off", but then to us. That and Platypus live.. that'd be hilarious. And a good opportunity to go crazy, haha.

First time I heard this song was sitting on a bus with headphones in. I actually jumped when the loud part kicked in, can still remember it scaring the fuck outta me!

Ignoring the bus part, that's how I remember hearing One Foot Before the Other for the first time. Loved it immediately.

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The first time I heard it, I got pretty startled after it stopped being acoustic and the rest of the band suddenly came in. :P Great song, btw.

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The first time I heard this, my parents were playing it on their dookie CD. They forgot to turn it off, and all by myself came on. They were really embarassed because I was only 6 or 7 at the time.

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Have always loved the extreme energy of this song, and the very Billie-Like snotty lyrics. And that video..... Fuck (Off and die), it blew me away.

Thanks Aska!!!

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The lyrics are really honest, and its not a song that many bands would write, i mean, sheesh, your telling someone to fuck of and die, pretty harsh :lol: i showed this song to my non green day fan friend, because i think it show cases their talent a lot, both the softer and harder part, and the intelligent lyrics. She loved it, and it made her a fan

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I was walking past a store last week and this was playing inside! I'd never heard it playing in a store before. I was also so happy when they played it at the concert at last summer :) Sounds just as good live as on the album, if not better! I do prefer the first half of the song though; favourite lines are:

When it's all said and done

It's real and it's been fun

But was it all real fun?

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The first time I heard FOD I was 10 and swimming at my grandma's house. My uncle had it cranked way up with the stereo right next to the pool. He knew what was coming, and told me to get real close to the speaker. I nearly crapped myself when the acoustic ended and my grandma just about killed my uncle. :lol: Good times.

I love the lyrics and the split-personality of this song. I've always had an urge to do this at kareoke and it's great to sing along to in the car when you're driving fast (and I'm sure I look like a spazz to other drivers).

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Ah, FOD. Classic Green Day. :happy:

...I actually refused to listen to the song for a while because it has the word 'belly' in it...I fucking hate that word. :pinch:

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Y'know that thing Billie Joe said about Peacemaker - about 'how someone can be so vengeful that it's almost sexually driven' ? F.O.D.'s that. The quiet part is this time-bomb of venom, ticking away with the guitar-sound, but when it explodes, the same words are coasting along on a wave of pure pleasure, exorcised. Ends with a snarl and a flick of the tail, the reverb burning on, unforgiving and enjoying it.

I fucking love this song. :)

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This is the one song that I can honestly say got me hooked on this band!

Where the quiet acoustic part just ends and all the power comes out like a fucking explosion, it's the best eargasm ever!

This is my funeral anthem.

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I read a review once saying that the sudden, unexpected blast of sound is the musical representation of the explosion on the cover of Dookie.

I also love the little computer beep just before the noise kicks in.

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When i 1st got Dookie years ago now i was a lot younger and was really into the fast pace and heavy guitar of Green Day, and for a long time I never listened to this song at all, i would here the first couple of acoustic notes and skip the song, bu grew older and i one day did listen to the whole song, and i loved it!! and i still do, the transition from the soft to the loud is amazing and i love the lyrics! Awesome song!!!

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I love this song and that live version you posted. It's a peculiar song, and I love how angry he is when he plays this in that video :lol:

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Great choice! :thumbsup:

As it was mentioned in here before, I especially like the transition from the acoustic start into the rougher, louder and faster "second part" as well.

In general it's an awesome song for me to let off steam. There's probably no song I listen to more often when I'm angry than this one! :lol:

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F.O.D. is definitely one of my favourite Green Day songs. It is short, but aggressive, explosive and contains a great meaning at the same time... It helped me out more than once every time I've been mad at someone.

The transition into the heavy part is simply amazing, all of a sudden this whole bunch of engery gets released which is pure epicness. In addition to that, the line "I'm take in pride in telling you to fuck off and die" in connection with the chorus works so well in my opinion!

Admittedly, the live versions are much better than the studio version. I like the clean sound in the heavy part on the record, but nothing beats the solo part with the electric guitar, everyone singing along and finally followed by this immense breakout. Especially back in 1994/1995 the live versions were amazing with Billie starting this song with so much anger. A great example therefor might be the West Palm Beach 95 performance :)

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Great SoTW choice! But aren't they all? 8) I love the way this song moves along and then the pent up energy just explodes from one part to the next. The emotion of it tries to stay in control, but it can't, and out it comes, loud and fast.

I've definitely listened to this song many times when I'm angry - letting it all out feels good! :dance:

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well, i always play this song when i'm angry or dissapointed at someone or when i stop to think of everything i've done and...

When it's all said and done

It’s real and it's been fun

But was it all real fun??

it's a great song but the best part of it is tre and his infamous all by myself :D

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i dedicated (i hope this is the right spelling, but i´m too lazy to google it now) to my ex best friend ...

and i love the second part

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